Thousands protested outside the BBC headquarters in London on Monday over the news network's policy concerning their reporting on the war between Hamas and Israel, namely, its refusal to call members of Hamas "terrorists," despite Britain labeling Hamas a terrorist organization in 2021.
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The demonstrators surrounding the building chanted "Hamas are terrorists" and "Shame!" One of the keynote speakers was Johnny Gould, a Jewish former sports announcer and broadcaster for BBC Radio.
Gould told the audience that Hamas "beheads babies, burns people alive, executes people at bus stops, at a peace festival. Terrorists? No, it's to choose a side, isn't it, John Simpson?" referring to a senior BBC correspondent and head of the network's foreign news desk who Last week tweeted, "Calling someone a 'terrorist' means you're picking a side and ceasing to treat the issue impartially."
Gould went on to argue that Simpson sanctifies neutrality as Switzerland hides behind hers. "The BBC is making excuses for this," Gould blasted.
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Protester holds posters of Israeli civilians abducted to Gaza
(Photo: Carl Court / GettyImages)
Presenter Andre Walker, who spoke after him, continued in the same vein. "We've seen terrorism before, we've seen hate before, we've seen evil before. But this time they committed a massacre in Israel and this is the first time it's happened, and we all have to think about it. It's time to tell the BBC they can't hedge their risks when it comes to beheading babies, burning people alive and murdering innocent civilians. We will never tolerate it."
Last week, the British Broadcasting Corporation received heaps of criticism for its refusal to call members of Hamas "terrorists", instead opting for terms such as "militants."
At times, protests against the BBC escalated into tangible acts. On Saturday, red paint was splashed on the BBC building as a form of protest. Earlier in the week, photos of Israelis kidnapped and killed in the Hamas attack were displayed on the building's entrance doors.
Meanwhile, the network suspended on Monday six Arabic-language BBC news reporters who published anti-Israeli posts. "We are investigating this matter urgently," the BBC said. "We take allegations of breaches of our editorial and social media guidelines with the utmost seriousness, and if and when we find breaches we will act, including taking disciplinary action."